On 12 December the US Navy qualified the first RAN officer on a nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarine. In a pier-side ceremony, Rear Admiral Chris Cavanaugh, Commander, Submarine Group 7 at Yokosuka awarded Lieutenant Commander James —, the first US Navy Submarine Warfare Device earned by a RAN submariner. In a new RAN protocol, submariners’ last names are not publicly released.
The RAN officer earned the warfare device, or “dolphins”, while embarked aboard the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Vermont (SSN 792) during a deployment to the US 7th Fleet area of operations, demonstrating another significant milestone for the Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership.
“It is always an honor to pin dolphins on a Sailor’s uniform and welcome them into an elite community of undersea warfighters,” said Cavanaugh. “Today’s pinning represents the strength of the alliance and our continued progress under the AUKUS agreement. This was an historic pinning, but it is only the first of many to come.”
In order to qualify, a Sailor must exhibit a strong understanding of all submarines systems, compartments, and equipment. The RAN officer had already qualified on a diesel electric Collins-class submarine but was the first RAN submariner to qualify on a nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarine.
“All of the extra sensors that the boat has, and the fact that we can remain deployed for so long at such high speeds will be game changing for Australia,” said James. “[Qualifying] is a culmination of a lot of hard work and a lot of support from the crew. I’m incredibly thankful to everybody that has supported me through this adventure. And it makes me incredibly proud to serve both my navy and your navy.”
There are more than 100 RAN officers in the U.S. Navy submarine training pipeline or assigned to US Virginia-class SSNs. Military training efforts under the AUKUS Pillar 1 effort are designed to enable Australia to operate, maintain, and support a sovereign fleet of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines to deter aggression and enhance stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Vermont, part of Submarine Squadron 1, has been on deployment since it departed its homeport of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, 8 August and arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, 9 December for a port visit. Submarine Group 7 directs forward-deployed, combat capable forces across the full spectrum of undersea warfare throughout the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea.
Source: USN
